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MIS Named Track of the Year by NASCAR Foundation

Editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:27:42 +0000

In acknowledgement of its community and charitable achievements, Michigan International Speedway has been named “Track of the Year” by the NASCAR Foundation for the second consecutive year. One of the speedway’s projects named by the NASCAR Foundation is its “Track and Explore” program which, in conjunction with Adrian College, hosts field trips for youth in the area with the emphasis on nature and conservation. The fact that in 2012 the speedway donated up to $75,000 to local charities through its MIS Cares platform was also noted in the award citation. Other programs and events organized by the Michigan International Speedway include NASCAR Unites, Racing to Read, Extreme Bus Make Over, Charity Drive, Fish Your Bass Off and the Spirit of America blood donation drive.

Michigan International Speedway president Roger Curtis noted in an interview that all MIS employees and volunteers are passionate about giving back to the community and making it stronger. Stating that it’s an honor to be named the NASCAR Foundation’s Track of the Year, and that receiving it for two years is incredible, Curtis also emphasized that the speedway aims to continue being a leader in giving to the community. In addition to the programs mentioned, MIS Cares supports Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation and the Ryan Newman Foundation in their charitable efforts.

Since being founded in 2006, the NASCAR Foundation has contributed over $15 million to charitable causes, and through its annual Speediatrics has been instrumental in providing medical treatment for more than 24,000 children. More than 2,000 children have had their NASCAR Dreams fulfilled, while over 1,200 special-needs children have enjoyed a summer camp experience thanks to the Foundation. More than 12,000 NASCAR fans have been recruited into the Volunteer Network which facilitates educational opportunities for students, with the emphasis on science and engineering. Clearly, the NASCAR Foundation is fulfilling its mission to embody the compassion of the NASCAR Family and its commitment to serving communities.

Stewart Breaks Dry-Spell at The Monster Mile

Editor — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 08:37:06 +0000

Breaking his 30-race dry spell at Dover on Sunday, Tony Stewart later revealed that as the owner of his team it did cross his mind that pushing for a win might wreck his car, leaving him with repairs to pay for. But with a couple of laps left in the FedEx 400, when crew chief Steve Addington reportedly told him to ‘use it up’, he passed Juan Pablo Montoya to cross the finish line in first place. While it was generally expected among fans that Jimmie Johnson would continue his winning streak, he notched up a penalty for prematurely pulling ahead of Montoya off a restart with just 19 laps to go. Johnson was moved to the back of the field and finished the race 17th. Third place was taken by Jeff Gordon, with Kyle Busch in fourth and Brad Keselowski in fifth.

Johnson voiced his displeasure at the penalty, explaining that he had tried to give the position back to Montoya after the restart, and ran half-throttle for the first half a lap before pushing ahead. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president disagrees with Johnson, saying that the penalty was ‘a very easy call’. Up until the penalty it appeared that Johnson had a good chance of taking the victory at the so-called ‘Monster Mile’, despite the fact that he had started 24th and had some difficulty moving up in the field initially. An early pit-stop by Johnson on Lap 71 allowed him to regain lost time before the caution for debris in Lap 80 and after that he moved up rapidly in the field and was in sixth place by the time a caution for debris was called in Lap 160. A seventh caution was called when Denny Hamlin’s tire blew on Lap 382 and Montoya took two tires before beating Johnson to the pit road exit, with Johnson passing the start/finish line ahead of Montoya and collecting the race-changing penalty. While emphasizing that he disagreed with the call, Johnson noted that his team will ‘just come back and try to win in the fall’.

Toyota/Savemart 350 2013

Editor — Fri, 31 May 2013 14:08:04 +0000

This 350km NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event is held annually at Sonoma Raceway. As a road course, Sonoma Raceway features 12 turns on a hilly course with total elevation of 160 feet. The 2012 race was won by Clint Bowyer driving for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Date: 23 June 2013
Venue: Sonoma Raceway
City: Sonoma
State: California
Country: United States

Quicken Loans 400 2013

Editor — Wed, 29 May 2013 14:57:09 +0000

The Quicken Loans 400 is the first of two NASCAR Sprint Cup events held at Michigan International Speedway. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the 2012 event as part of the Hendrick Motorsports team. He was also the winner of the event in 2008. For more information visit nascar.com

Date: 16 June 2013
Venue: Michigan International Speedway
City: Brooklyn
State: Michigan
Country: United States

FedEx 400 2013

Editor — Wed, 29 May 2013 14:49:20 +0000

Held annually as part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the FedEx 400 is dedicated to the non-profit organization Autism Speaks and is sponsored by Visa Inc. Last year’s winner was Jimmie Johnson, who also won in 2002 and 2009. For more information visit nascar.com

Date: 2 June 2013
Venue: Dover International Speedway
City: Dover
State: Delaware
Country: United States

Fourth All-Star Win for Jimmie Johnson

Editor — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:28:01 +0000

While Kyle and Kurt Busch dominated the first four segments of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night, Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line in first place, adding another victory to his impressive record which now includes four All-Star victories. Fans turned out in their thousands to watch the race, with millions watching on live television, but although supporting the NASCAR event, there’s a growing consensus that something needs to be done to liven up what has become a predictable race. Even Johnson conceded that some changes need to be made to the race, noting that in the first four segments of the race drivers were using different strategies which made the race exciting, adding that on the last segment options are limited to make the multiple passes needed to win. Johnson also gave credit to his pit crew for their speedy work on a mandatory four-tire pit stop prior to the final segment which put him beside Kasey Kahne for the last green flag.

With the Coca-Cola 600 up ahead, it has been noted that the recent resurfacing of the track at Charlotte changes the handling of the cars. Johnson revealed that the previous track was so familiar to him and his team that they knew what adjustments needed to be made to the car at each stage of the race and time of day, all of which has changed now. Johnson is being cited as the favorite to win the Coca-Cola 600, with other top contenders including Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards.

Among the strategies being put forward to liven up the competition for future All-Star events, has been to move the race to Bristol Motor Speedway – quite a drastic step when considering that 28 of the 29 editions of the event have been held at Charlotte. The suggestion to move the race came as a result of a Twitter survey conducted by Clint Bowyer on Sunday. Johnson’s crew chief Chad Kraus offered another possible solution, which he admitted would not likely be seen as viable by Goodyear, and that is to make a softer tire compound to wear more quickly on the track surface at Charlotte, thereby compensating for the track being less abrasive than others.

Coca-Cola 600 2013

Editor — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:05:21 +0000

As part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the Coca-Cola 600 will take place on Sunday May 26 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. First held in 1960, the annual event covers a distance of 600 miles (400 laps). For more information visit nascar.com

Date: 26 May 2013
Venue: Charlotte Motor Speedway
State: North Carolina
Country: United States

2013 F1 British Grand Prix

Editor — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:52:12 +0000

The legendary Silverstone circuit is the venue for the 2013 F1 British Grand Prix on 30 June. Practice and qualifying session take place on Friday and Saturday, with the main race at 1pm on Sunday. The event consists of 52 laps, covering a total distance of 306.198 km. The lap record of 1:34.908 was set by Ferdinand Alonso in 2011.

Date: 30 June 2013
Venue: Silverstone Circuit
Country: England

2013 F1 Canadian Grand Prix

Editor — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:42:40 +0000

Taking place at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, the F1 Canadian Grand Prix covers a distance of 305.270 km (70 laps). Friday and Saturday (7 & 8 June) feature practice and qualifying sessions with the race taking place on Sunday 9 June. The current F1 lap record of 1:13.622 was set by Rubens Barrichello in 2004. For more information visit formula1.com

Date: 9 June 2013
Venue: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
City: Montreal
State: Quebec
Country: Canada

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race 2013

Editor — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:18:22 +0000

As the name suggests, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is a race in which the stars of NASCAR compete and includes race winners from the previous season, along with winners in the first events of the current season and the past ten event winners, as well as the past decade’s Cup Series champions. Coveriung a distance of 90 laps, the race takes place at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. For more information visit nascar.com

Date: 18 May 2013
Venue: Charlotte Motor Speedway
City: Concord
State: North Carolina
Country: United States